All eyes on Pathania to put BJP house in order

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 1

The recent expansion of the Cabinet has brought a mixed bag of fortune for Kangra district. Rakesh Pathania, a firebrand leader from Nurpur, is in the Cabinet as Forest and Youth Affairs Minister.

Sources here said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was hoping that Rakesh Pathania would put things in order in Kangra. Within the BJP, Kangra district was facing a leadership vacuum since former CM Shanta Kumar had taken retirement from active politics.

Highly placed sources told The Tribune that Pathania had sought a room in the Secretariat at Dharamsala. He had also conveyed his intentions to sit in the Secretariat to listen to grievances of people. The BJP was deeply divided in Kangra. MP from Kangra Kishan Kapoor was not in good terms with the CM. BJP MLA from Jwalamukhi and former minister Ramesh Dhawala had many times openly expressed his displeasure. He was at loggerheads with party organising secretary Pawan Rana.

However, it remains to be seen if Pathania could don the mantle of the leader of Kangra district.

The other minister from Kangra Sarveen Chaudhary has been downgraded. She was earlier the Minister for Town and Country Planning. She has now been given the Social Justice and Women Empowerment Department.

The third leader from Kangra, Bikram Thakur, BJP MLA from Jaswan Pragpur, has been given the Department of Transport and Industry.

Locals hail Nurpur MLA’s induction into Cabinet

Nurpur: Local residents on Friday hailed the induction of Nurpur MLA Rakesh Pathania into the state Cabinet. After receiving the news of Pathania taking oath as minister, the local BJP workers assembled at Jassur, near here, and celebrated his induction as a Cabinet minister. The jubilant workers burst firecrackers, and raised slogans. — OC

Vacuum in Kangra

• Rakesh Pathania, a firebrand leader from Nurpur, is now the Forest and Youth Affairs Minister.
• The Chief Minister is hoping that Pathania will put things in order in Kangra district, said sources
• Within the BJP, the district has been facing a leadership vacuum since former CM Shanta Kumar took retirement from active politics.

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